The Inside Story of a Controversial New Text About Jesus (Married!)

Smithsonian Magazine ^ | 9-18-2012 | Ariel Sabar

[Renfield]

Harvard researcher Karen King today unveiled an ancient papyrus fragment with the phrase, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife.’” The text also mentions “Mary,” arguably a reference to Mary Magdalene. The announcement at an academic conference in Rome is sure to send shock waves through the Christian world. The Smithsonian Channel will premiere a special documentary about the discovery on September 30 at 8 p.m. ET. And Smithsonian magazine reporter Ariel Sabar has been covering the story behind the scenes for weeks, tracing King’s steps from when a suspicious e-mail hit her in-box to the nerve-racking moment when she thought the entire presentation would fall apart. Read our exclusive coverage below....

[Nervous Tick]

>> Jesus is married. To the Church.

Ladies and gentlemen, hold your calls! We have our winner! :-)

[MestaMachine]

Not to start a flame war, sincerely, because I don’t mess with other people’s beliefs, but a little known fact is that back in the time of Jesus, you could not be honored with the title of Rabbi UNLESS you were married and had consummated the marriage. That was the Law at the time. So it would not surprise me either.

[wideawake]

Oooohh.

A fourth century Coptic text.

So that's only 200 years after the actual Gospels.

That's kind of like finding a text from 1998 that says that George Washington stole Richard Grieco's Walkman.

[pabianice]

The rest of the fragment has been discovered. The entire text says, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife, Mary, is going to McDonalds. Who wants a burger?’”

The text's authenticity has been thrown into question...

[Chode]

written in 400AD... feh

[JerseyDvl]

Anyone ready to riot? Oops, sorry...wrong religion.

[piasa]

There was an article in the Tampa Trib this morning that listed the names of two exceptions to your rule.

[vetvetdoug]

Written 400 years after the birth of Christ, this business card item with no other corroborating writings is supposed to be honored in academic circles as a significant finding? One fake in 400 years isn't so bad. There is a major amount of writings that Biblical scholars have omitted from the Bible because they cannot be corroborated or there is too little to justify their inclusion. This is too little to reverse thousands of years of academic studies and writings.

[MestaMachine]

What was it? I am truly curious. Have been for years and years.

[JoeProBono]

[Shelayne]

Absolutely right!

I am just waiting for my Bridegroom to call me Home!

*BIG SMILE*

Maranatha!

[Just mythoughts]

To play the devil’s advocate, I must ask why His being married would, in any way, diminish Him. He is God and I believe part of His mission was to, by His example, show us how to live our lives. Of course, His main mission was to die for us because it is impossible for us to live up to God’s strict standards. Since marriage is such an important part of our human lives, it kind of make sense that Jesus might have shown us how to do that part right, too.

Well at least you put this claim in proper perspective .... devil's advocate. Christ was God with us... now why on earth would He have need or cause to have a physical wife... Spiritually speaking Christ is the 'bridegroom' the Church is the bride.

[cport]

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her

His model for marriage is stated thusly, in the Living Word. Indeed, Christ was married to the church.

[Just mythoughts]

Not to start a flame war, sincerely, because I don’t mess with other people’s beliefs, but a little known fact is that back in the time of Jesus, you could not be honored with the title of Rabbi UNLESS you were married and had consummated the marriage. That was the Law at the time. So it would not surprise me either.

It is out of the devil's own workshop to be making claims that Christ, 'Emmanuel' God with us would be in need of a flesh woman. Who exactly ever called Jesus rabbi? Christ was not a rabbi He was the only begotten Son of God, sent to redeem those that believe upon Him, and so that destruction of the devil already pronounced could be carried out. BUT the Heavenly Father does give His children all of them the free will to believe whatever they choose to believe.

[Mach9]

No doubt the Piltdown Jesus. Just hope I’m around to see the experts squirm out of this one..

[MestaMachine]

I have already stated this is a matter of curiosity. Believe as you will. “TEACHER” is Rabbi. So I wonder.

[The_Reader_David]

Oh, goody, another old gnostic text from Egypt. (Yawn!)

[Mach9]

Not sure where you found this, but Jesus was declared a “rabbi,” based on His knowledge of the scriptures, at the age of 12 by the elders in the temple of Jerusalem. I don’t think he was wed at the time, because His parents, according to the New Testament, had been looking for Him for three days..

[impimp]

These two verses imply that it would diminish Jesus to be married (which is impossible, therefore He wasn’t married).

Matthew 19:12 (ESV)
12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

1 Corinthians 7:32–34
32 I want you to be efree from anxieties. fThe unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.

Also:
http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/was-jesus-married

[hapnHal]

Married? I want to see the marriage certificate. What, “NO” paper work, records sealed....kind of reminds me of someone else.